Bella Gomez
by TWBB
Summary: Unexpected visitors surprise the Cullen Family, one from Jasper's past, the other held against her will. Inexplicable things happen that will change everything.


**Edward**

It was just another day among the internally and externally boring students of Forks High. Where was the originality among those they called my peers? All the thoughts had become muddled to the point that they'd become nothing more than a low hum.

I'd continue to listen, of course, for anything that pertained to my family. We'd been here for four years and our names were nothing more than wishful thinking and fantasies.

Those had become mundane and boring on day one.

"Are we heading out to Mt. Rainer tonight, bro?" Emmett asked me, before sending a spoonful of peas in Jasper's direction.

Alice quickly stuck out her hand, catching them before the little green missiles could meet their target. With a roll of her eyes, she threw them back, surprising Emmett.

Vampirism assured excellent aim.

Emmett spent the next few seconds cleaning the peas that managed to explode on contact. Alice, my dear sister, gloated all the while. My brothers and I spent the remaining time of the lunch period planning our hunting trip, hoping to catch some grizzlies before the rain intruded.

A few minutes before the scheduled bell rang, Alice suddenly gasped. Her breath hitched while her mind focused on a future she'd hidden from me. Jasper took her hand in his as she tried to pull herself out of the vision.

Confused by what I was seeing, or lack thereof, I waited for her discomfort to pass.

"I don't understand," Alice said, her brow scrunched in confusion. Conveniently, she was translating Jane Austin's Mansfield Park to Latin to keep me out.

"What is it?" I hissed. Jasper, sensing my growing anger, raised an eyebrow in concern.

_Is she's hiding something from you?_

I nodded but kept my gaze on Alice. She shook her head as if to dispel the lingering future. "We get home," she started in a whisper. "Then everything disappears and reappears three days later."

"Why would you be blinded?" Rosalie asked, concern giving her voice a touch of malice. She'd always been loyal to the family, keeping it together was her priority.

"I don't know," Alice whispered and looked around us. She lowered her voice even further, audible to those of my kind. "What I do know is that one of us is no longer with the family on the third day." Averting her gaze from mine, she turned to Jasper and buried her face in his chest. Alarmed, he wrapped his arms around her, soothing her instantly.

"Who?" I asked, but I had a feeling of what her answer would be.

"You, Edward," she replied. "You're not there, standing amongst the rubble with the rest of us."

"This is ridiculous. I wouldn't abandon my family."

"Maybe you're dead," Emmett said from the passenger seat of my car. Deciding it was best to leave early and regroup at home, I drove out of the student parking lot just after lunch.

"I already am," I hissed, revving the engine as I turned onto the street. I could hear Emmett's eyes roll.

_He's going to start preaching about our souls again._

I bit the inside of my cheek to prevent from doing what he accused me of doing. For the past few years, he said I'd gotten more _emo. _Though I never admitted that he was right, there was an inexplicable ache in my chest. The pain reached new heights in the past four or five years.

"Fine, I meant fucking dust, ash, or whatever," Emmett said with a wide grin. I knew what he was doing but it wasn't making me feel any better.

"There's no fire from what I can see," Alice said from the backseat of my car. She continued to search our futures, but was still unable to find mine after today. I sped up, anxious to get home and face this –whatever it was—head on. Rosalie had already informed Carlisle and Esme, our "parents," so that they'd call the school for us.

In the review mirror, a black Mercedes pulled up behind me—Carlisle, and thankfully, Esme was with him.

"Anything, Alice," Emmett said. "Do you at least know when the blackout happens?"

"In two hours, forty-three minutes," she whispered.

Emmett shook his head and his thoughts focused again on me. I growled and shot him a glare.

"If you say that aloud—"

He grinned again. "Come on, bro. I just think it's a crying shame that you'll die a virgin." Sensing my anger, he jumped out of the car before I hit our driveway and disappeared into the trees.

Jasper laid a calming hand on my shoulder. "Relax. It's his way of coping."

"Nothing will happen to me," I spat, falling flat due to his influence. Coming to a stop in front of our home, the others exited quickly. I sat in my seat and tried to clear my head. For the next two hours thirty-nine minutes, I'd need to listen for anything out of the ordinary.

We needed anything that could prepare us for what was coming. Whatever or whoever it was.

Unable to handle the tension in the house, Jasper and Alice decided to leave and patrol the grounds. Esme was trying her best to keep her emotions under control, finding menial tasks to do. Rosalie was doing little to mask her unwarranted anger toward me.

_If you die, the family will fall apart. If you _leave _us, I'll kill you myself._

I raised an eyebrow, the corners of my lips twitching into a smile. "You can try."

She scowled and threw me a menacing glare, only serving to make me smile wider. She crossed her arms and decided to ignore me instead, too bad that never lasted long. Emmett laid a hand on her shoulder, giving me a wary grin.

_She means well._

_No, Emmett, she really doesn't, _I thought bitterly. The only thing Rosalie cared about was her own happiness and that meant keeping us together.

Jasper and Alice entered the room swiftly, minutes before whatever supposed to happen. Our only thought was a visitor, a gifted vampire, would come. It was up to me to listen for their approach. I looked over at Carlisle, who gave me a small nod. Together we walked from the tension-filled living room into the backyard. Jasper and Emmett quickly flanked us, scanning the woods that lay beyond our property lines.

Taking a breath, I closed my eyes. I filtered out the thoughts from my family as I listened for the voices that extended well beyond my normal limits. A mile down the road, a truck driver was contemplating dinner at the local diner. Even further, I could hear the conversation between Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley from the backseat of his car.

Quickly passing _that _conversation, I continued, listening for "voices" that ran faster than the humans that inhabited Forks. Further south, outside our town's limit was a rapidly thinking mind.

"Vampire," I whispered. "Female. She'll be here very soon." I used her thoughts to see her surroundings, and she wasn't alone. "There's someone with her," I continued. "I can't see who though, running behind her."

"Is she running from this person?" Jasper asked.

"No, but the first is only thinking of one thing."

"What is it?" Alice asked from behind me. "I can't see anything now."

"Jasper."

"How close is she?" Jasper said through clenched teeth.

"Forty-three seconds," I said, taking a deep breath. "I don't recognize her scent."

The rest of my family murmured the same. It seemed Jasper thought differently, as he started to pace. "Who is it, Jasper?" Alice asked, stopping just in front of him.

"Maria."

Suddenly, the sound of someone clapping was coming from within the tree line. "It's so nice to see you all work together to protect your little familia," a captivating voice said. "It's ten seconds faster than the last time I visited."

What? That made no sense, since she'd never visited us.

Jasper stepped forward, searching the trees for the voice's owner, the voice immersed in the shadows and unknown powers. From what I knew if Jasper's former life, there was never any indication that Maria was gifted.

"The last I saw of you was in Texas, Maria," Jasper said carefully. From what I gathered of his thoughts, confusion plagued him—he couldn't get a reading on Maria's emotions—a first.

A sigh was heard as a figure walked from the shadows that eclipsed the forest. She was petite, with short dark—almost black—hair. Her features were clearly Mexican, though her skin was ashen white, like most of my kind.

"Must we go through this every time I come to visit, mi corazon," she said. She looked behind her, beckoning her companion forward.

Breath escaped my lungs in a rush, inhaling again just as quickly. The scent was memorizing and all consuming. Three words chanted in my mind repeatedly and instantly once Maria's companion came into view.

_Familiar._

_Sweet._

_Mine._

I knew her, I was sure of it, but I held no memories of her.

"Explain yourself," Carlisle stated, his eyes on the dark-haired girl walking behind Maria.

Maria snickered and shook her head. "You don't even remember, my pet. Yet, you're still protective of her. I guess old habits are hard to let go."

A sudden memory invaded my thoughts.

_Maria was on her knees and crying in pain. A young girl with cherub-like features stood over Maria's prone figure. Her red-eyed gaze fixed on Maria—Jane._

Carlisle had told me once of some of Aro's prized guards amongst the Volturi. Aro had an obsession of collecting the best of the best to insure his place as overlord of our kind. Behind the memory was something disturbing. Glee and malicious excitement at seeing Maria writhe in pain.

Her tormentor—this was the girl's memory.

"He asked you to explain," Rosalie spat, her fists clenching on each side. Her thoughts were chaotic and maternal instincts kicked in. The thought "baby girl" emerged into her thoughts and took over.

"We will not tolerate you feeding on a human in our home," Esme said with conviction, her thoughts very much like Rosalie. "Leave her and be on your way."

Maria laughed and stopped about two hundred yards from us. The girl automatically came to a halt two steps behind her. She looked no older than my own physical age, seventeen or eighteen. Her head was down, so I was unable to discern the color of her eyes. Instinct, or perhaps something else, told me they were beautiful and warm. Long, luxurious brown hair flowed over the tops of her shoulders. The tips of the silken strands brushed the swell of her breasts.

More images raced through my mind, accompanied my rich sensations only enhanced by my imagination.

_The brown-haired beauty was sitting astride me, her firm, supple breasts cupped in my hands. Her nipples hardened under my icy touch, exciting her—me further. My body thrummed with desire, fighting the inevitable. Sweat-slicked hair matted against her face, neck and chest, and her head thrown back in ecstasy. Suddenly, she cried out my name._

I groaned audibly, unable to sustain it. From under the curtain of the girl's hair, I could feel and smell the blood rushing to the surface—she was blushing. The images were coming from her. Unbridled passion, the sight, scents and sounds of those thoughts wasn't a fantasy conjured by my long dormant hormones—it was vivid memory—our memory.

"Bella," I whispered as I took a step closer.

Maria hissed and turned to Bella quickly. Before we could react, her hand struck against Bella's warm cheek. "Stop showing him memories, perra," Maria spat, posing to strike again.

Instantly, Rosalie, Carlisle, and I were on them, Jasper and Emmett close behind. I swiftly swung Bella away from Maria, and stood protectively in front of her. Jasper and Emmett had Maria in their combined strong hold. She thrashed angrily against her restraints and cursed in a mixture of English and Spanish. Rosalie and Carlisle stood between the maddening woman as more shields to protect Bella.

"While you are here, you will refrain from punishing _your pet_," Carlisle said, disgust in this tone. "I will not condone such behavior on a human—"

"I'm not human," Bella whispered against my neck. The familiarity of the warmth of her breath against my skin sent a fresh wave of arousal through me. Bella giggled but the delightful sound was marred by the screeches coming from the tiny woman in my brothers' arms.

"Shut up, Niña," Maria cried out, her eyes on Bella. "How can you allow them to do this to your mother, tu madre?"

"Dude," Emmett said warily. "Explain what the hell is going on."

"Nothing!" Maria screamed. "Tell them nothing, hija, my beautiful daughter," she cooed.

Bella shook her head and a wicked smile graced her full lips. "I will tell you everything," she said softly, the sweet timber of her voice caused my body to react immediately. Her eyes snapped to mine, she smiled knowingly. "May we go inside? She hasn't allowed me to eat for weeks."

Rosalie's eyes widened and curses flew from her mouth. Surprisingly fast for even our kind, she spun on her foot and landed a brilliant kick to the side of Maria's face. Jasper sensing Rosalie's move in time, took a firmer grip on Maria so not to lose his hold on her. Alice shook her head, still confused and for some reason was suffering from a headache, turned to Bella.

"Why couldn't I see you and Maria?" Alice asked.

Bella's face fell and bit her bottom lip nervously. "I'm neither human nor vampire. I'm something in between. For this reason, you've never been able to see me. If I'm traveling with someone, they are also protected from your gift."

"What the fuck do you mean you're something in between?" Emmett asked, grimacing as Maria kicked his shin.

"I had a human mother, who didn't survive my birth. I later found out that my father was a vampire."

"Why aren't you with your father?" I asked, curious.

"He was one of Maria's soldiers and he broke a rule. He played with his food and fell in love with her. She had him destroyed and kept me. "

At this moment, her hunger became more evident as her stomach growled. Esme immediately hovered over Bella and took her hand.

"Enough," Esme said. "Until she eats, we'll wait to find out more."

"Let me go!" Maria screeched. "She's mine!"

"No, Maria," Bella said, looking straight into her eyes. "I've been waiting a long time to leave you, now I have a chance. You should've never have come here again."

"You said la bruja, Jane was coming for us again. They fear the Cullens. You said—" Maria stopped and her eyes widened in unmistakable horror. "You did this on purpose!"

"Si, Maria," Bella said with a wicked smile. "I've been biding my time."

"You used your gift against your own madre!"

Bella smile widened further. "My _gifts, _all thanks to you."

Maria lunged and screamed in her attempt to get to Bella, but Jasper and Emmett held onto her firmly.

"We can continue this inside," Esme reminded us again. Inside her thoughts were conflicted and confused, while she mentally went through what food was in the kitchen.

"What do we do with this one?" Emmett asked as he struggled to both walk and hold onto Maria.

"Give me a moment," Bella whispered. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths and determination crossed her features. In seconds, Maria stood still, her eyes staring blankly ahead. "You can let her go now."

"What the fuck?" Emmett said confusedly. Bella was about to say something, but Esme put her foot down and didn't allow her to.

Once we settled at home, Esme and Rosalie moved around the kitchen to make something edible for Bella. Alice couldn't stand the state of Bella's clothing and insisted that she get cleaned up in her room.

The rest of my family kept an eye on Maria, though it seemed unnecessary. Since the moment Bella said to "let her go," Maria hadn't said a word and allowed us to lead her. She seemed as if she were in a trance-like state.

As for me, I seemed to need to be as close to Bella as possible. My body hummed with an unknown energy that seemed to amplify the closer I was to Bella. I paced the hall outside Alice's room, replaying the memories that seemed to come from Bella herself. They were thoughts that I was sure I shouldn't be able to forget, and I was sure I wouldn't want to.

That realization led me to believe that Bella could tamper with our memories, perhaps erase them, and she seemed to have some other types of mental abilities. All the memories that I'd seen so far seemed to be hers. Other than what she'd allowed me to see, her mind was a complete mystery to me.

It was taking every bit of control I could muster for me to remain outside of Alice's room. I desperately wanted to be closer to Bella, to touch her and smell her. Even though I could hear every nuance of Bella's graceful movements, it wasn't enough.

_Be patient,_ Alice thought.

How could she not understand that I needed to know more? To be close to her?

"Alice," Bella said from behind the closed door.

"Yes."

"Do you have something in blue? Edward likes that color on me."

"How—how do you know?" Alice asked as she moved toward her closet.

"He told me."

"You've been here before," Alice concluded. While I listened to every word, it seemed I wasn't the only one privy to the conversation. The rest of the family stilled—eavesdropping.

"Maryland and Alaska," Bella added. "Tanya and Kate almost killed Mother to protect me, so we stopped going there. We hadn't come to visit again until the family moved here to Forks," she said as she turned on the water inside the shower. Brief glimpses of the last time she showered here ran across my thoughts.

_Water cascaded down her back as I entered the shower enclosure of my bathroom. Tiny rivulets of moisture ran down her naked back and over the soft skin of her backside. I could see my hand reach out for her, murmuring how much I loved her as I pressed myself against her warm, wet body._

I groaned and rested my head on Alice's bedroom door. "You're killing me, Bella," I whispered.

"Sorry, I lose focus sometimes," she replied. "It will get better once I get a chance to show you everything, my love."

I was poised to answer but Alice stopped me. "Anyways," Alice said, and I was sure she was rolling her eyes at me. "We've only been here for four years. How many times have you visited?"

"Nine times over the past nineteen years, but mother refused to return again because of Edward and me," Bella said softly. I could almost feel the blood rush to her cheeks, she was blushing again.

Alice stopped what she was doing in the closet and said, "Because you two—"

"Yes," she answered Alice's unspoken thought.

"Dude!" Emmett bellowed from downstairs. "He lost his virginity and didn't even remember! That's fucked up."

Bella gasped as she showered. "Oh dear," she whispered. "I hadn't meant for that to come out that way. Sorry, honey."

"Damn it, Alice," I said, knocking on the door. "Let me in. Bella and I are obviously close."

"No, stay out! I don't have to see the future to know what will happen if I do."

Bella giggled. "Alice, you'll have to learn to see _around _me. It takes a little practice."

Emmett bounded up the stairs, standing out of my reach. "What would happen, Alice?"

"Shut it," I growled at him. "Let me in!" I was ready to tear the door from its hinges to get to Bella.

"Edward, she needs to finish and eat," Alice reasoned. "Let's get this out of the way then you can have her to yourself."

I cursed Alice internally in every language I was fluent in, including others she wasn't.

"Oh my, Edward," Bella whispered. "That's not very nice."

"Oh shit!" Emmett gasped. "She can read your mind." He paused and suddenly he started backing away. "That means she can read mine."

_Fuck, I wonder what if feels to have sex with someone that warm._

I growled and my eyes narrowed when I realized what he was thinking. "As do I," I spat.

"Enough," Carlisle said from downstairs. "If you two keep making Bella lose focus on whatever she's doing to keep Maria in this trance, it may falter. Get down here."

"That's true," Bella said. "Thank you, Carlisle.

"Don't worry about them anymore," Alice said while I grumbled, pinching the bridge of my nose. _I'll be hearing about this for centuries from Emmett._ I reluctantly followed him down the stairs.

"How old are you?" Alice asked as I kept my mind focused on their conversation.

Bella sighed as she stepped out of the shower. "Nineteen years old, but I stopped aging a while back. I think I should wait until I can talk to everyone. Plus, it would take too long to explain everything, I'll have to show you. Time is something we don't have much of."

"No time. Why?" Alice asked.

"The Volturi will be here soon," Bella said softly.

All movement from the vampires in our house ceased as the words left her lips. The sound that eclipsed everything within our home was the beat of Bella's heart.

"What?" Alice asked in horror. "Why? How many?"

"The Volturi are coming for me, and I think all of them."

"What the fuck?" Rosalie screeched.

"Vampires have no patience," Bella mumbled as she attempted to eat. Being watched by eight vampires while eating would make anyone grumpy.

Carlisle cleared his throat, apologizing before the questioning started. "Your heart rate is extraordinarily fast."

"Yes. My body temperature is one-hundred-four degrees. I can eat human food, but I need blood to sustain me."

"Are you venomous?" he asked. Unable to handle the distance, I stood from my chair across from Bella and took the seat beside her. She gave me a small smile, taking my hand placing it on her thigh. Instantly, I felt better and tightness in my chest lessened.

I understood then. The ache I've been feeling for years was due to the loss of Bella.

"Yes and no," Bella replied before taking a drink from her glass of ice tea. Before Carlisle could ask something, she continued. "I'm not naturally venomous, but if I feed from a vampire my blood absorbs it. I then become venomous but only for a short time."

I growled beside her, the idea that she "fed" from another vampire made me inexplicably angry. I felt her take my hand under the table, soothing me instantly.

"Calm down, Edward," she whispered. "I've only fed from you and Maria."

I was confused and deeply aroused at the thought of her mouth on me. "But I don't have any bite marks," I said thoughtfully. I rubbed the side of my neck that started to tingle and heat under my fingertips.

"It's part of my gift. I leave no lingering memories or physical evidence of my existence. Including tracks, my scent and, in your case, bite marks." She placed a fingertip over where my pulse would've been if I were alive. I shuddered from the intimacy of her touch.

"Besides, most of the time when I fed from you wasn't through a bite," Bella said. Her eyes widened and she clasped a hand over her mouth, horrified.

"Oh man! Did you just confess to sucking Edwa—" Before Emmett could complete the vulgar question, Rosalie smacked the back of his head.

My body reacted from her accidental slip. It seemed that my body and emotions remembered Bella. However, parts of me didn't; it bothered me. Bella sighed beside me, mumbling an apology.

"Bella," Carlisle said after clearing his throat. "When did you first come to us?"

"A week after I was born. Maria feared my growth and wanted to know that I'd be alright. She heard of Jasper's new family, in particular you, Carlisle."

"But you said upstairs you've known us for nineteen years," Esme pointed out.

"Yes, I stopped growing."

"Accelerated growth until you reached your prime," Carlisle murmured to himself.

"You mentioned earlier," Jasper said as he started to pace, he was worried; Maria was smart. He was sure she'd have a contingency plan should anything happen. "That you've waited to defect from your _mother _and that it was thanks to her that you obtained the power to leave."

Bella smiled a wickedly. "Yes, she did. You see she took me to a member of the Volturi when I was a child.

"You don't remember this, but Maria treats me like a slave. She fooled me into believing that I was hers. However, our trips to visit you led me to believe that I could be happy elsewhere. I had become rebellious against Maria and attempted to leave her. My powers were still developing so there was little I could do about it. She felt she only had one choice and she asked someone for a favor—Chelsea. They must've spoken before we arrived. I do know that one moment I was thinking of a plan to leave Maria, the next I was calling her mama."

"Chelsea created a bond? There must've been something there for it to have worked," Jasper said.

Bella shrugged and nodded. "Maria was there when I was born, if it hadn't been for her, I probably would've died."

"But that bond is no longer there," Jasper stated rather than asked.

"How?" Carlisle inquired.

"Maria and I have been visited by various members of the Volturi throughout the years. However, they have no memory of what occurred once they left my presence. Aro kept sending guards and determined that something was very wrong with Maria and her coven. _He_ finally visited, along with Jane and Alec, Chelsea and Marcus. Marcus was able to determine that the connection between Maria and I was false. Aro read nothing of my coming into contact with Chelsea from her.

"By this time, my powers had fully developed, but I kept the extent of them from Maria. Aro wanted me but Maria refused to release me to them. Jane attempted convince her slowly. Aro, curious to see if his powers would work on me, touched me—big mistake. One of my abilities is using any vampire's gift once I encounter them. Using a combination of my own power and all of theirs, I was able to incapacitate them, erase their memories, and sever the bonds between Maria and myself.

"That was last week," Bella concluded.

"Shit," Jasper said slowly. "Aro—"

"Had a contingency plan just in case he returned with no memory of what happened," Bella finished for him. "We have two months before they track Maria here."

We remained still and quiet, nothing but the fast beat of Bella's heart echoed in the room.

Alice broke the silence. "I had a vision of this house in shambles and Edward wasn't there. It happens soon."

"That's because Maria has seven vampires waiting for her call. If she doesn't call them in two days, they'll seek her out," Bella said slowly. "Sorry. When I came up with my escape, I hadn't seen her backup plan. She kept it from me somehow."

"Do you know what's going to happen?" Jasper asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, but that future is no longer. I've changed it," Bella said, averting her eyes from Jasper's narrowed gaze. He sensed her deception.

"Enough," Rosalie said as she pushed off the adjacent wall. "We obviously care for her, the emotions and instinct to protect her are in all of us." She looked to Jasper for confirmation.

Jasper nodded. "We all love her."

"We protect those we love," Esme said firmly.

Bella sobbed gently as tear after tear fell from her eyes. Even in her gratitude and fear, she looked so beautiful. I brought her hand to my lips, kissing her gently.

"I assume you know how to fill in the holes of our memory," Rosalie said as she knelt beside Bella. "I want to remember."

"I can use a combination of my abilities," Bella said, her eyes on mine. "I've done it to all of you before."

"Can you explain why Maria kept coming back here?" Jasper asked confusedly. "You said that we were against her before."

"Once we left, you forgot what happened. The next time we'd come, I'd fill in your memories but only the good parts." Bella smiled and gave me a sweet kiss on my cheek. "I was using my gifts to scare her into thinking we had to hide."

"Fuck you're awesome!" Emmett said loudly. "You're a tiny little thing that went against a crazy bitch and the Volturi."

"I would've never tried if it weren't for all of you. All the love and security you gave me while I visited showed me I had somewhere to go."

"You do," I said firmly. "Let's do this."

Bella led me to the couch in the living room and sat beside me. "This takes a great deal of concentration, so you'll have to restrain her," Bella said, gesturing toward Maria.

Jasper and Emmett nodded as the both grasped Maria's arms. Bella closed her eyes for a second and instantly the spell was broken.

Maria's red eyes came into focus and for a moment, she looked at each of us. Then she realized that Bella betrayed her, and she started to scream obscenities in her native tongue.

"Who's power allowed you to do that to her?" Carlisle asked while watching Maria thrash against her captors.

"Alec," Bella said warily. "He can cause a vampire to lose their senses, and along with my other abilities, I can make them lose their will."

Carlisle looked concerned. "Is what you're doing now safe?"

"I've done it to each of you a few times," she said sadly. "The first time we returned to visit was when Maria figured out my gift. You all forgot about me."

I took her face in my hands, watching a tear slip from her eye. She shook her head and gave me a watery smile. "Once I leave a person's presence, it's as if I never existed. It wasn't until a visit from the Volturi that I was able to restore your memories instead of retelling our—" Bella looked over the raving Maria, "—story. However, once I left the memories disappeared again."

"Can you make this permanent?" Esme asked, thinking the same thing everyone else was. This would hardly work if every time she left to hunt, we'd forget her.

"I can," Bella said brightly.

"Okay," Rosalie said, sitting on Bella's other side. "Let's get this over with." She took Bella's other hand. "I'm going first."

"You should probably wait," Bella said urgently.

"Why?"

"I need to concentrate. Once you've seen what I have to show you, you'll, um, want to kill Maria."

"The problem being?" Rosalie said with a challenging eyebrow.

"Mama," Bella said taking Rosalie's hands in both of hers. "Please just wait. You'll understand why."

"You called me mama," Rosalie said softly.

"I called you that once when I was still a child, you never seemed to mind. It stuck since."

Rosalie's emotions and thoughts were scrambling to understand what this all meant. To find the memories that would help make sense of the love and adoration she felt for Bella.

"Alright," she whispered gently patting Bella's hand and moved away.

Bella turned to face me, taking my face in her hands. "Close your eyes," she said and rested her forehead against mine. Running my hands over her smooth, warm arms, she sighed softly. Taking her face in my own hands, I kissed her nose and each of her cheeks, and then I closed my eyes.

"Listen to my words," Bella said softly. "Both inside and out."

_I love you. I've missed you so much._

I felt myself shudder as I listened and remembered. Missing pieces of time that I wasn't aware of before, stretched and stitched to others. My emotions mingled with the memories, overwhelming me completely. I sobbed dryly as a memory of Maria, angry and feral, taking a naked Bella from my arms. Carlisle agreeing it was for the best, because Bella wanted to go.

"Why?" I asked as my eyes snapped open. Angry, I was so fucking angry with her. "Why did you _want_ to leave me?"

"I didn't, not really," Bella sobbed, her lips trembled against mine. "Our connection was still there, whenever I tried to leave or even think it, it forced me back to her. I'm sorry."

My arms wrapped around her, her tears soaking my shirt. "I'm sorry, too. You're here now with me—with us."

"Now that that's over, what are we going to do with Maria?" Jasper asked.

"Let me at her!" Rosalie screeched as Emmett held her back from an influenced Maria.

"She's defenseless, baby," Emmett reasoned.

"Sweetie," Rosalie said, turning to Bella. "Please release her long enough for me to kick her ass."

"I have a better idea," Bella said with a glint in her eyes. With her back to my chest, my arms wrapped around her small waist, I kissed her cheek. She was always deceptively sweet, but wicked in her schemes—and in other areas.

"It was nice to meet tu familia, Jasper," Maria said, looking up at his tawny eyes. "Peter said you were happy, and I suppose I just wanted to see it for myself."

"I am happy," Jasper replied as he wrapped an arm around Alice. "We're all happy."

Maria smiled and looked to each of the couples that surrounded her. "It's nice to see so many couples in love, mated for eternity."

"For eternity," Bella said, squeezing my hand.

"I will keep your secret," Maria said to Bella and me. "You are quite extraordinary. No wonder he loves you so."

"I do," I said.

"Well, I'll be off," Maria said as she darted into the tree line.

Once she was well out of hearing range Rosalie spoke up. "Damn baby girl, you have awesome powers. I kicked her ass and she doesn't even know it."

"Does this mean we have nothing to worry about Maria's backup plan?" Emmett asked as he stole Bella from my arms. Despite my complaining, he swung her around until she was laughing merrily.

"Anytime she tries to remember something, or realize there is time missing she'll suddenly remember there is something else she had to do," Bella said while giggling from Emmett's antics.

"Dude that's awesome," Emmett said placing Bella on her feet. She swayed and chuckled, leaning on me for support.

Bella grinned at him and shook her head. "Now that Maria and her band of minions are well on their way, we'll have to prepare for the Volturi."

"I'll start making calls," Carlisle said as a list of vampires names went through his thoughts. Jasper and Alice started to come up with some ideas, perhaps even leaving to find some friends of his.

Bella grasped at her throat. "I'm thirsty."

"I'm sorry, love." I took her hand. "Let's go hunting."

As always, watching Bella hunt was maddening and arousing. "Now it's obvious why you left the last time," I said. "Maria found us in bed together after returning from shopping. What I don't understand is how she remembered you once she left your presence."

Bella smiled, wiping a few drops of blood from the corner of her mouth with a swipe of her tongue. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from groaning. I needed answers before I gave into the lust coursing through me.

"Chelsea's bond prevented her from forgetting me when she went out. In the beginning, she never allowed me to leave her side. As you remember now, the first few visits with you and your family were fine. It wasn't until Jasper felt when I was hurt during that hunting trip that things changed." She waited for me to run through my memory.

We had gone on a hunting trip that Maria asked to accompany us so we could teach Bella how to hunt animals. At the time, she led us to believe that she worried if she allowed Bella to hunt humans that she'd garner attention.

In the end, it turned out that Bella's new diet was nothing more than a ploy to keep her on a leash. When a grizzly managed to mangle Bella during a hunt, she didn't feel fear of possibly losing Bella because she loved her. Maria feared losing Bella, because she could lose her most powerful weapon. It was the first time we had attempted to take Bella from Maria.

I shook my head and watched as Bella walked toward me slowly. A predatory gleam was in her eyes that left me anxious for what was to come. I grinned.

"What are you doing?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. I took a step back as she took another toward me.

"It's been eight months since I've last seen you," she said slowly. "It's been two hundred fifty-four days since I've last had you inside me."

"Fuck," I hissed as my breathing became labored. "Love, it's been less than an hour since I just remembered that you're my mate. That I love you, and that's a lot to take in."

Bella stopped her approach and her smile fell. She cocked her head to one side, her hair falling across a shoulder beautifully.

"Does that mean," she unbuttoned two tiny buttons from the blue blouse she was wearing. "—that you want to take things really slow." Another button followed the first two and more of her pale, creamy skin was exposed. I could make out the swells of her breasts, the tiny indentation of her navel as the shirt opened fully, fluttering to the ground.

"Fuck no," I rasped. With a running start, I pounced and locked my arms around her in an iron cage. "You really shouldn't have said that."

We fell as she moaned, my teeth latched onto a strap of her bra, snapping it instantly. "Please," she moaned again.

Tumbling onto the leafy ground, we rolled several times as fingers tore at clothes. "Now. Edward, now."

Her breath was raspy and so filled with desire that it fueled me further. A rumble of desire started in my chest, my mouth seeking out skin, heat, and blood.

I could drink from her and because of what she was and her gift, my eyes wouldn't change. If I drunk everything her body offered me, it wouldn't harm her but drown her further in desire.

"Please," she gasped as I bucked my erection against her sex. "Give me both at the same time."

I groaned as her decadently warm hands wrapped around me. I bucked against in her hold, roaring as lust, love and instinct drove me to take her, make her mine. My hands sought newly remembered soft, warm skin.

The arch of her neck was graceful and full of life under my fingertips. My mouth followed the same path my fingers laid, the hollow of her throat, the sensitive underside of her breasts, before I finally gave in and took a sweet, pink peak into my mouth. I shuddered as her hands continued to give me pleasure.

"Bella," I gasped, laving her other nipple with same attention as the first. As one of my hands dove into her hair, the other found the warm, wet apex between her thighs. "You're so sweet."

My fingers circled the tiny spot that caused her to arch higher and made her cry out my name. I allowed a finger to delve inside her, once, twice before I couldn't take the need to taste her. I pulled my finger from her, despite her protests, and brought it to my mouth. My eyes closed as my taste buds overloaded, she tasted so good, like nothing else.

I'd roam the Earth for eternity searching for this taste and never find another like it. Now she was with me—forever—and I'd never have to look for what I was missing again.

"Please, Edward." She pleaded, her thumb running over the head. "Too long—"

I kissed her fiercely then, my tongue stroking over hers. She released me and dragged her nails over my backside and back. I groaned again, the bursts of pain only enhancing the pleasure of her body. She dragged her fingers through my hair, tugging and pushing me further down. I took a peak into my mouth, gently grazing my teeth over the pebbled skin.

"Bite and take me. Take everything I can give you," she whispered softly.

Another rumble of desire coursed through me as I slipped my fingers under her backside. I took a deep breath, the scent of her desire and my own mingled in the earthy air that surrounded us.

As my teeth tore into the soft skin of her breast, I drove inside her. Our bodies stilled for a moment. She trembled and whispered my name. A trickle of her blood fell on my tongue, igniting something primal within me. I pulled away as I roared and slammed back inside her, sealing the bite and taking another. Bella screamed and pulled at my body, wanting me closer.

Remembering that she healed quickly, my fingers dug into her hips and tilting them upward. Bruising was already forming but it didn't matter. They'd last long enough for them to heal before I would do it all over again. The thought that I'd leave some kind of mark on her, drove me to take her harder. Blood ran down my chin as I sealed the bite with the tip of her tongue. I kissed a wet trail of venom and blood up her chest and neck before taking her mouth again. This kiss was all tongue and teeth, Bella moaning with each stroke of my punishing rhythm.

She pulled away from my mouth to sob for more. "I love you," she gasped between breaths.

"I love you," I returned and slowed my movements. Bella gasped and smiled as I returned to fucking her hard, while my kisses became more gentle and sweet. A combination that seemed to make Bella writhe beneath me.

"So close, Edward," she whispered. "Please."

"Me too. What do you need, baby?" I flicked my tongue over all the smears of blood I left over her sweet skin. "Tell me."

"Bite me—I—bite you," she said huskily.

"Fuck yes," I gasped and changed the angle of my thrusts so my hips would hit her just right. She cried out again, pleading with me.

"Ready," I said softly. She looked into my eyes, biting her bottom lip until it bled. I groaned and swept my tongue over the tiny drops that spilled. The cut sealed immediately, my mouth seeking what Bella and I both wanted—needed.

"Now, Edward," she said, her mouth just a breath away from my ear. Her teeth scraped along my neck, her tongue lapping at my cool skin. Her body started to quake under me, warming further as she approached orgasm. I placed a gentle kiss over the pulse on her neck, feeling the thrum of the blood rushing below the fine layer of skin.

"Together," I said as I tore into her flesh.

"Forever," she said as tiny teeth sunk into me.

My senses overloaded. My sense of taste exploded from the richest, sweetest blood in existence. The sound of Bella's heart beating in her chest, something I'd become attuned to. Touch, because she was close enough to feel the racing beat of her heart and the slick sheen of sweat that covered her body. And the feel of her mouth taking my venom inside her. Sight, because even though our eyes were closed, we relived every time we came together in our past. Smell, because of the scent of our mingling arousal, venom and her blood, all mixed perfectly.

Her body warmed around me, tightening around my cock as a well of desire broke through the surface, and I spilled inside her.

After sealing the wound, I collapsed on top of Bella, exhausted. I rolled onto my back, taking her with me. Slowly, our breaths calmed, her fingers drawing little patterns across my chest. My hands held her close.

"Is it the only way, love?" I asked softly, not wanting to disturb the quiet peace that fell upon us.

"Yes," she whispered.

"How much time do we have?"

"I've already started preparations. I uploaded a computer program before leaving Mexico that should've started the process by now. Afterward, we'll just have to drive through town."

"Will we—" I started but she stopped me. She placed her mouth over mine, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the pleasant taste and pressure of her lips.

"Yes, soon."

I nodded and rolled her beneath me. "I love you," I said. "And if this is the only way we can stay together—"

"It is, for now."

I kissed her softly, slipping inside her. We took our time. It would be our last time while we were here.

**Jasper**

"We're going to have to leave," I said, watching Alice go through the ruins of our home.

Rosalie shifted through debris looking for her tools where our garage once stood. Anger was rolling off in waves from her, seething with grief and confusion. Emmett helped her and started to pack what he could salvage into his jeep.

"Carlisle," Esme whispered as she placed his father's cross in his hands. "It survived the attack."

"Who would do this to us?" Alice whispered. "Why would someone blow up our house while we went out to hunt?"

Carlisle shook his head an unknown source of grief passed through him. "I don't know, Alice. There are no other scents around here. Are we sure that we didn't leave the gas on or something."

"It could be," Alice said. "I should've seen it though."

"It's alright, sweetheart," I whispered and took her in my arms. "We'll go New York this time."

Carlisle sighed. "I suppose that's for the best, it's too soon to go back to Alaska." His eyes darted around as if he were looking for something, just wasn't sure what it was. He looked back at me. "You better call your contact. We're going to need the usual."

I nodded and stepped away from Alice so she could finish. I pulled out my phone and walked amongst the debris that used to be our living room, black shards of Esme's beloved piano now laid pieces.

I dialed and waited. "Jenks," I said firmly. Fear always made this man do as I said; it wasn't the money that got him to do it.

"Jasper," he croaked. I smiled.

"I need the usual, new identities and transcripts for Rochester, New York."

"I need a week to come up with that."

"You have four days," I said smartly. "Expect my call in three. Don't disappoint me, Jenks."

"Yes, sir. One doctor, one architect, and four students, is that right?"

Jenks sounded unsure for a moment and for some reason I wanted to answer no. Then I remembered that I'd need to get a hold of Eleazar to let him know we're moving again.

"That's right, just the six of us."

**AN: I left things purposely unsaid. I'd like to expand this, eventually. It's really hard trying to cram everything in 8000 words. Thanks to the lovely people that came up with this great contest. Thanks to my beta for cleanup and encouragement. **


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